With a view to curtailing its non-developmental expenditures and as a part of reforms agenda being undertaken by the provincial government on the guidelines given by the donor agencies, the Punjab government is considering a proposal to induct officers in grade 16 and above on contract basis.
Official sources told Business Recorder here on Monday that Implementation and Co-ordination (I&C) Department Punjab has moved a summary to Chief Minister proposing induction of officers in grade 16 or above on contract basis through Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC).
According to them, I&C department has proposed that rules and regulations of PPSC must be amended so as to materialise its proposals.
The government would start hiring of contractual officers within a month and at present it was planning to streamline the contractual recruitment system by making it transparent and merit based. In the past, many departments had to bear political pressure for induction of employees on contract basis. In order to neutralise such pressure the government was considering to use the channel of PPSC for the contract recruitment," the sources averred.
According to them, different provincial departments like education, health, communication and works, local governments, etc, used to induct officers/employees on contract basis, and in the process merit was put aside, while nepotism and bribery were also used especially during the reign of political governments.
Hence, many departments were over employed and run by incompetent officers, the sources claimed. Taking notice of the situation, the Prime Minister imposed a ban on the contractual employment some five months back.
Sources also disclosed that it seems that the proposal was a part of a donor agency's programme of reducing government expenditures by switching regular employment with contractual employment.
They said that it has asked the government to end recruitment on permanent basis, which would save them money in the shape of gratuity and pension that were not offered in the contractual appointment. "With a passage of time, permanent employment would be restricted to the minimum," they added.
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